The very popular sport of golf entails a very complex motion to swing a golf club so as to either propel a golf ball a maximum distance in a desired direction, or to propel the golf ball a carefully controlled distance in a precisely determined direction. Almost all golf players strive to improve their skill at the game, and improved skill generally leads to increased enjoyment of the game.
Despite the complexity of the golf swing, the usual game of golf typically entails a relatively small number of swings or strokes, generally in the range of 70 to 100 or so, and about a third of these are putting strokes that require an entirely different technique. Because of variations in topography on a golf course, few of the remaining swings are the truly repetitive swings needed for skill improvement. Thus even the most dedicated of golf players must usually resort to off-course practice to improve their golf skills.
Many golf players make use of golf driving ranges, which allow the player to practice repetitive swings under virtually identical conditions. While such practice is undoubtedly valuable, it requires a trip, sometimes of some considerable distance, to a golf driving range. Furthermore, simple repetition, as at a driving range, does not assure that the swing is being performed correctly. As a result, many golf training devices have been developed for use in the home (or the garage or backyard) to assist a golf player to improve his/her golf skill. See, for example: Sanford, U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,875; Pelz, U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,345; Bayton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,030; Kessler et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,797; and Kossnar et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,991. Many of the training devices of the art are quite complex and expensive.
Brandon, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,234, teaches a golf-swing conditioner comprising an extensible elastic member terminating at one end in a golf-club-like handle, and terminating at the other end in a screw-eye or similar means for attachment to a stationary surface. The device taught by Brandon is designed to allow a user to practice his/her golf swing, and to condition the muscles employed in the golf swing, against the resistance provided by the elastic extensible member. The invention of Brandon lacks any features that would serve to induce or constrain the user to correctly perform the critically important backswing and downswing phases of a golf swing.
Fenton, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,835, teaches a golf swing exerciser and trainer device also comprising an extensible elastic member terminating in a golf-club-like handle, the other end of the device of Fenton being adapted to allow attachment to a stationary device such as a door knob. Like the device of Brandon, the device taught by Fenton also lacks any features which would serve to induce and constrain the user to correctly perform the critically important back swing and down swing phases of a golf swing.
Another approach to golf swing training is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,797 (Kessler et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,991 (Kossnar et al.). The complex device of these related patents involves a pelvic belt that wraps around the golfer's hips and guides the golfer's pivot during the swing. A relatively complex and costly adjustable, dual axis mechanism constrains and guides the pelvis in a first axis in the back and downswings, and in a second axis in the follow through. Although this device addresses the pelvic rotation and weight shift during the swing, it does not address the development of a proper swing plane, arm extension, wrist positioning or the development of the proper pull-through of the opposite, lead shoulder and hip. That is, golf for a right-handed player is a left side game, and for a left-handed player is a right side game. Since the opposite side is not the dominant side for the player, having the opposite side (predominantly the shoulder) be the key is counter-intuitive, intellectually and consciously. Correspondingly, it is difficult to develop the proper muscle memory to counter the natural dominant tendencies of the following side.
Learning or improving a complex physical task such as an optimum golf swing requires repetitive performance of the task, and involves the complex interaction of the muscular and nervous systems. In particular, repetitive feedback of nerve signals from proprioceptive receptors (nerves which sense position and/or pressure in a muscle, joint or other tissue) to the central nervous system result in “imprinting” the feedback on the central nervous system, until performance of the task becomes reflexive. This imprinting process is often referred to, although technically incorrectly, as “muscle memory”.
This process is clearly illustrated in the process by which a child learns to walk, from the first tentative and awkward steps of a two-year old to the relaxed and graceful gait of three- or four-year old. The difficulty faced in relearning how to walk following an accident, injury or stroke illustrates the complexity and reflexive nature of walking. One does not have to think about how to perform and coordinate all of the muscular actions required to walk; ideally one should not have to think about how to correctly perform an athletic activity such as hitting a golf ball. Ideally, one should not have to be concerned with the result of the swing, i.e., where the golf ball is going, when attempting to learn and imprint the golf swing sequence. It is well understood in the sport that “The golf ball is the bane of the golf swing”.
An optimal training device to improve an athletic skill would induce or constrain the user to perform the action of the skill in the correct or most advantageous manner, and allow the user to repetitively practice that action until it performing it correctly becomes automatic or reflexive. To quote an old saying, particularly applicable to golf, “Practice makes perfect only if you practice perfectly.”
To be useful for the greatest possible number of golf players, a golf training device should also be inexpensive, should not occupy much space in the home when not in use, and should be quickly and easily set up for use, and quickly and easily disassembled after use.
Perfecting the golf backswing—the initial part of the golf swing, in which the golfer swings the golf club to a position above and in front of the trailing shoulder (the right shoulder for a right handed golfer) to begin the swing—is an often-neglected activity in efforts to improve one's golf skill, yet many golf teachers consider the backswing to be the key to a good golf swing. A consistently good swing cannot be developed if the backswing is poor or inconsistent. Therefore, there is a need for an effective training device to assist golfers in perfecting their backswing. Ideally, such a training device should also provide assistance in perfecting the downswing the phase of the golf swing immediately following the backswing, where the golfer brings the golf club down from the position at the top or end of the backswing to the position of impact on the golf ball. Such a device could thus assist golf players both in the perfection of their backswing and the transition to the downswing.
Furthermore, golf players, in striving to improve their golf swing, must learn to use their non-dominant arm and shoulder muscles to produce the major force of the golf swing, particularly of the downswing, and to counteract the tendency to let the dominant side take over. That is, a right-hand-dominant golf player must train himself/herself to use the left arm and shoulder to produce most of the power of the golf swing. Proper use of the non-dominant arm and shoulder must be imprinted on the golf player, and an ideal golf swing training device should assist the user in strengthening the musculature of the non-dominant side, and make the use of the non-dominant side, to provide most of the golf swing's power, a reflexive action. The dominant-side musculature does, of course, provide important power to the golf swing, in the impact and post-impact phases of the swing.
Accordingly, there is a significant and important unmet need in the field of golf training for proper golf swing plane training, and more particularly for a device and system that is simple yet effective and addresses the issues of development of muscle memory in the upper body for proper lead-side dominance to produce a smooth, consistent and controllable swing plane.